From top left: the Keeper, the Very Revd Shane Forster; Facilitator for Playful Museums Festival, Ursula Monaghan; Assistant Keeper, Carol Conlin. Seated from left: Archivist, Thirza Mulder; Director NIMC Heather McGuicken.
A warm welcome was given to the new Director of the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC), Heather McGuicken, when she visited Armagh Robinson Library and No 5 Vicars’ Hill recently.
Through the support of NIMC, the Library and its second building at No 5 Vicars’ Hill gained recognition as an Accredited Museum, as well as a working library and visitor attraction. Over the years, NIMC has encouraged and supported the Library’s team, both in terms of training and funding and in how to retain its museum accreditation status.
Speaking ahead of her visit, Heather McGuicken, said,
The Northern Ireland Museums Council is delighted to visit Armagh Robinson Library and No 5 Vicars’ Hill, one of our treasured cultural institutions. This visit is a testament to our commitment to supporting museums that safeguard heritage, inspire learning, and connect communities. Armagh Robinson Library’s dedication to preserving and sharing knowledge and history is invaluable, and we are proud to stand alongside them in ensuring their continued success.
The visit was also an opportunity to acknowledge two grants which NIMC have recently awarded to the Library. One is for the purchase of conservation-grade folders and boxes to protect over 2,100 loose pamphlets dating from the 1680s to the 1990s. Most of the pamphlets are on subjects relating to local history, church history, and St Patrick, three of the Library’s current main acquisition areas.
The second grant will enable the Library to participate in the 2026 Playful Museums Festival in February, in order to welcome families with young children to the 18th century library and to No 5. Ursula Monaghan, the facilitator for these events, joined the team for this first meeting.
As part of the Museum Accreditation Status, the Library relies on the support of a mentor. Dr Ken Abraham has filled this position since March 2024 and was invited to attend the meeting. In this capacity, Ken said,
Armagh Robinson Library is a small independent museum which is careful of its status as an Accredited Museum, as it cares for a unique collection of books, manuscripts and other material of international importance. It is to be congratulated on its strategies for collections care and for facilitating engagement with its collection by a wide range of user-groups including researchers, school groups and visitors from all over the world.
